THE ALL-OF-THE-ABOVE ENERGY STRATEGY AS A PATH TO SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH

Transcription

1 THE ALL-OF-THE-ABOVE ENERGY STRATEGY AS A PATH TO SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH May 214 **Draft**

2 The All-Of-The-Above Energy Strategy as a Path to Sustainable Economic Growth Executive Summary...2 I. Introduction: Elements of the All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy...5 II. The Energy Revolution and the Economic Recovery...9 The Energy Revolution in Historical Perspective... 9 GDP, Jobs, and the Trade Deficit Energy Prices, Households, and Manufacturers III. The Energy Revolution and Energy Security: A Macroeconomic Perspective... 2 Trends in Oil Import Prices and Shares Macroeconomic Channels of Oil Price Shocks Empirical Analysis of Energy Price Shocks The changing sensitivity of the U.S. economy to oil price shocks Energy supply diversification and falling correlations among U.S. energy prices Discussion IV. A Path to a Low-Carbon Future Reducing Emissions through Improved Efficiency Natural Gas as a Transitional Fuel Supporting Renewables, Nuclear, and Clean Coal Electricity from Wind and Solar Energy Other Renewables Nuclear and Clean Coal Meeting the Challenge of the Transportation Sector International Leadership References

3 Executive Summary The U.S. energy sector is undergoing a profound transformation. The United States is producing more oil and natural gas, is generating more electricity from renewables such as wind and solar, and is consuming less petroleum while holding electricity consumption constant. These developments have had substantial economic and energy security benefits, and they are helping to reduce carbon emissions in the energy sector and thereby tackle the challenge posed by climate change. To build on this progress, to foster economic growth, and to protect the planet for future generations, the President has set out an aggressive All-of-the-Above strategy on energy. Some of the recent trends in the energy sector predate the Administration and stem from technological advances and risk-taking by American entrepreneurs and businesses, as well as from government-supported research and other public policies. The All-of-the-Above energy strategy supports these trends through environmentally responsible production of oil and natural gas. In addition, the Administration has advanced the growth of energy sources with low or zero carbon emissions through programs that support wind, solar, other renewables, and nuclear, and has also helped to reduce energy demand by promoting energy efficiency. The Administration is also supporting an ambitious program of carbon capture, utilization and storage for coal and natural gas power plants and for industrial facilities. The All-of-the-Above energy strategy has three key elements: to support economic growth and job creation, to enhance energy security, and to deploy low-carbon energy technologies and lay the foundation for a clean energy future. This report lays out these three elements of the All-ofthe-Above energy strategy, and takes stock of the progress that has been made to date and the work that remains to be done. The recent transformation in the domestic energy sector has been historic. Decades-long trends in energy use are being reversed. Natural gas consumption has risen 18 percent since 25. In addition, total energy obtained from wind, solar, and geothermal sources has more than doubled since 29. Many of these changes are largely unforeseen. Only eight years ago, baseline projections showed steadily increasing petroleum consumption well into the future. But the Energy Information Administration now projects petroleum consumption to decline starting after 219. In fact, since its peak in 27, U.S. gasoline consumption has fallen by 5.5 percent, or half a million barrels per day. 2

4 The energy sector has provided key support to the recovery from the Great Recession, and the U.S. economy s exposure to abrupt adverse changes in world oil markets should continue to decline. Rising domestic energy production has made a significant contribution to GDP growth and job creation. The increases in oil and natural gas production alone contributed more than.2 percentage point to real GDP growth in both 212 and 213, and employment in these sectors increased by 133, between 21 and 213. Tens of thousands more jobs have been created in the solar and wind industries. These figures do not account for all the economic spillovers, so the overall impact on the economy of this growth in oil and gas production is even greater. Excluding the crisis-affected year of 29, the U.S. trade deficit as a percent of GDP is the lowest since the 199s. Since its 26 peak, more than a fifth of the narrowing of the trade deficit as a percent of GDP can be directly attributed to a shrinking trade deficit in petroleum products, as rising domestic production and declining domestic consumption have combined to cut oil imports. The resilience of the economy to international supply shocks macroeconomic energy security is enhanced by reducing spending on net petroleum imports and by reducing oil dependence. The factors that have reduced net oil imports decreased domestic petroleum demand, increased domestic oil production, more efficient vehicles, and increased use of biofuels reduce the vulnerability of the U.S. economy to oil price shocks stemming from international supply disruptions. Although international oil supply shocks and oil price volatility will always present risks, empirical evidence presented in this report suggests that further reductions in net petroleum imports will reduce those risks. The United States has emerged as the world s leading producer of petroleum and natural gas. In 213, combined production of petroleum, natural gas, and other liquid fuels in the United States exceeded that of Saudi Arabia and Russia. The United States leads in natural gas and is predicted by the International Energy Agency to lead in oil as well within a few years. The President s All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy will sustain and strengthen this important progress, while deploying low-carbon technologies and laying the foundation for a clean energy future. The United States has reduced its total carbon pollution since 25 more than any other nation on Earth. While energy-related CO2 emissions have fallen 1 percent from their peak in 27, recent projections suggest that emissions could begin to increase again, and more work remains to address this critical imperative. In his 213 State of the Union address, the President again called on Congress to pass legislation that would provide a market-based mechanism for reducing emissions. Absent a market-based solution, a 3

5 central goal of national energy policy is to develop and to deploy low-carbon technologies that the market would not otherwise undertake because of the externality of greenhouse gas emissions. The President s All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy embraces natural gas as a transitional fuel, and includes steps to ensure that natural gas development is done responsibly. Natural gas is comparatively cleaner than many other sources of energy. And while extraction of natural gas raises some environmental concerns, including fugitive methane emissions, the Administration is supporting safe and responsible development including a strategy to address gaps in current data on methane emissions, to reduce upstream methane emissions, and as part of the Quadrennial Energy Review to identify downstream methane reduction opportunities. The All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy supports renewables, nuclear, and other zerocarbon energy sources through research, development, and deployment, and also invests in energy efficiency. The Interior Department is on track to permit enough renewable energy projects on public lands by 22 to power more than six million homes; the Defense Department has set a goal to deploy three gigawatts of renewable energy including solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal on Army, Navy, and Air Force installations by 225; as part of the Climate Action Plan, the Federal Government committed to sourcing 2 percent of the energy consumed in Federal buildings from renewable sources by 22; and the Energy Department supports clean energy technology development and cost reduction across the innovation chain, including through significant loan guarantees and demonstration projects to promote nuclear, renewables, efficiency, and clean coal technologies. 4

6 I. Introduction: Elements of the All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy Over the past ten years, the U.S. economy has undergone a revolution in the production and consumption of energy. Breakthroughs in nonconventional oil and natural gas extraction technology have reversed the decades-long decline in domestic oil and natural gas production. The composition of energy sources has begun to shift: petroleum and coal are now being replaced by natural gas and renewables, cleaner sources with low or zero carbon emissions. Some of these trends predate the Administration, and the President s All-of-the-Above energy strategy supports these trends and aims to accelerate them in an environmentally responsible way. Other trends are newer, and are driven in part by the President s policies. The President s All-of-the-Above energy strategy has three key elements: to support economic growth and job creation, to enhance energy security, and to deploy low-carbon technologies and lay the foundation for a clean energy future. This report lays out these three elements of the Allof-the-Above Energy Strategy, and takes stock of the progress that has been made to date and the work that remains to be done. The energy sector has provided key support to the recovery from the Great Recession. Today, as shown in Figure 1-1, the United States produces more crude oil than it imports. Natural gas production has climbed sharply and natural gas prices have fallen, to the benefit of industry and consumers. Employment in the oil and natural gas extraction sector increased by 133, from 21 to 213. Many more jobs have been added in sectors that support activity in extractive industries like manufacturing, transportation, construction, restaurants and lodging, as well as local jobs in schools, grocery stores, hospitals, and other establishments in drilling regions. And even more jobs have been induced by the extra spending created by these jobs, given the elevated rate of unemployment during the recovery. The CEA estimates that oil and gas extraction alone contributed.2 percentage point to GDP growth in 212 and 213 and this large contribution does not include all the economic spillovers. The decline in net petroleum imports has helped to reduce the U.S. trade deficit. And the dramatic growth in renewable electricity generating capacity, especially in wind and solar, has also boosted employment and output during the recovery. 5

7 Million barrels per day 12 Figure 1-1 U.S. Crude Oil Production and Net Imports Net Imports Actual Projected 1 8 Apr Production Source: EIA The energy revolution is also making the United States more energy secure. Declining net imports reduce the macroeconomic vulnerability of the United States to foreign oil supply disruptions. In today s deregulated domestic liquid fuels market and globally integrated oil market, an international supply disruption means a jump in prices because of the inelastic short-run demand for oil. But the combination of declining gasoline consumption, increasing domestic crude oil production, increasing fuel economy, and increasing use of biofuels enhances the resilience of the U.S. economy to these oil price shocks. Although international oil supply shocks and oil price volatility will always present risks, empirical evidence presented in this report suggests that reductions in net petroleum imports will reduce those risks. Ultimately, long-term reductions of net oil imports must come from reduced demand and increased use of biofuels, electric vehicles, natural gas, and other substitutes for petroleum in transportation. In addition, the diversification of energy sources through the growth of natural gas and renewables has softened the link between world oil prices and domestic energy prices. The President s All-of-the-Above energy strategy is also developing and deploying low-carbon technologies and laying the foundation for a clean energy future. From 25 through 211 (the last year of data), the United States reduced its total carbon pollution more than any other nation on Earth, in part because of a shift in the United States towards cleaner natural gas and an increasing role for renewables. Although the reductions in CO2 emissions so far are an historic shift from past trends, more work remains, and business-as-usual projections still suggest that CO2 emissions will increase over the rest of this decade as the economy grows. These increasing emissions impose economic and other costs on generations to come in other words, carbonintensive energy consumption generates a negative externality that affects the welfare of today s population and their children. Imposing these costs on future generations is irresponsible and our current business-as-usual path is unacceptable. The President s All-of-the-Above energy strategy makes progress on addressing this critical issue. Natural gas has the lowest CO2 emissions per unit of usable energy produced of any fossil fuel. 6

8 Switching from fuels with a greater carbon footprint to natural gas has played a vital role in decarbonizing the energy sector, and will continue to do so for the coming decades. To ensure a small greenhouse gas footprint for natural gas, the Administration is working with States and industry to address the challenges of fugitive emissions of methane (a potent greenhouse gas) and flaring. In addition, through the Department of Energy and the Quadrennial Energy Review, the Administration will identify downstream methane reduction opportunities. Renewables will play a central role in a low-carbon energy future. The All-of-the-Above energy strategy supports programs that help to bring down costs of those renewables approaching market readiness, for example through solar programs such as the Department of Energy s SunShot initiative. Absent a comprehensive market-based solution that internalizes the externality posed by carbon emissions, the All-of-the-Above strategy also entails working towards the outcomes of such a solution through policies that include new energy efficiency standards, a continuation of the Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit, an extended cellulosic fuel tax credit, and direct regulation of carbon emissions. The Box summarizes some key Administration initiatives under the All-of-the-Above energy strategy. 7

9 SELECTED ADMINISTRATION INITIATIVES UNDER THE ALL-OF-THE-ABOVE ENERGY STRATEGY Electricity Issued about $3B in DOE loan guarantees: kickstarted utility-scale solar; supported first mover advanced nuclear reactors with enhanced safety features in Georgia; enabled auto industry to retool for very efficient and electric vehicles. In partnership with industry, invested in four commercial-scale and 24 industrial-scale clean coal projects that will store more than 15 million metric tons of CO2 per year. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, supported more than 9, projects by leveraging nearly $5 billion in private, regional, and state dollars to deploy enough renewable electricity to power 6.5 million homes annually. As part of a commitment to improvements in permitting and transmission for renewables, approved 5 utility-scale renewable energy proposals and associated transmission, including 27 solar, 11 wind, and 12 geothermal projects since 29, enough to power 4.8 million homes. Thirteen of the projects are already in operation. Transportation In 211, finalized national standards to double the efficiency of light-duty cars and trucks by 225, reducing oil consumption by 2.2 million barrels a day in 225 and slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 6 billion metric tons over the lifetime of the vehicles sold during this period. Building on the first-ever medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fuel economy standards released in 211, began collaborating with industry to develop standards for vehicles beyond model year 218, which will lead to large savings in fuel, lower CO2 emissions, and health benefits from reduced particulate matter and ozone. Energy Efficiency Since June 213 alone, issued proposed or final energy conservation standards for eleven products through the Department of Energy. These standards when taken together with the final rules already issued under this Administration mean that more than 7 percent of the President's goal of reducing carbon pollution through appliance efficiency standards will be achieved. As a result, by 23, CO2 emissions will fall by at least 3 billion metric tons cumulatively and save hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs. Launched the Better Buildings Challenge in 211 to help American commercial and industrial buildings become at least 2 percent more energy efficient by 22. More than 19 diverse organizations, representing over 3 billion square feet, 6 manufacturing plants and close to $2 billion in energy efficiency financing stepped up to the President s Challenge. This year, 25 new states, cities, school districts, multifamily housing, retailers, food service, hospitality and manufacturing organizations announced they are joining as partners. Set an additional $2 billion goal in federal energy efficiency upgrades to Federal buildings over the next 3 years. This challenge, in combination with the initial commitment of $2 billion in 211, will result in a total of $4 billion in energy efficiency performance contracts in the Federal sector through 216. Beginning in 29, created weatherization programs that helped low-income households save $25-$5 a year on their energy bills and have provided energy efficiency improvements to nearly 2 million homes. Oil and Natural Gas Worked to reduce processing time for onshore drilling permits, now at the lowest it has been in eight years. In FY 213, onshore production on Federal and Indian lands increased 37% compared with FY 28. This year, the Interior Department has already held eight onshore lease sales, generating over $78 million in revenue for States, Tribes, and the American taxpayer. Promoted environmentally responsible development of offshore resources through the Interior Department s Five-Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil & Gas Leasing Program. Since the implementation of new safety standards following the Deepwater Horizon incident in 21, the Interior Department has issued 26 new shallow-water well permits and 229 new deep water well permits. In addition to policies already undertaken, the President, as part of his FY 215 Budget, has proposed new initiatives including: Investing $5.2 billion in funding for clean energy technology activities at the Department of Energy, including $86 million for programs and infrastructure that support nuclear energy technologies, $7 million to increase affordability and convenience of advanced vehicles and renewable fuels, and $4 million in cleaner energy from fossil fuels. Establishing an Energy Security Trust to help fund efforts to shift cars and trucks off of petroleum products, a $2 billion investment over 1 years that will support R&D into a range of cost-effective technologies. Putting $839 million towards advancing the goals of the Global Climate Change Initiative (GCCI) and the President s Climate Action Plan by supporting bilateral and multilateral engagement with major and emerging economies. 8

10 II. The Energy Revolution and the Economic Recovery The recent changes in the energy sector and their consequences for economic growth have been remarkable. Increasing production of oil, natural gas, and renewable energy has contributed to employment and GDP growth during the recovery, and declining net petroleum imports have helped to reduce the U.S. trade deficit. The Energy Revolution in Historical Perspective Over the past two centuries, the amount of energy consumed in the United States has increased dramatically and its mix has changed to sources of energy that are more potent and more convenient. As Figure 2-1 shows, through the middle of the nineteenth century, the main energy source in the U.S. was wood. The use of coal rose sharply through the early twentieth century, then reached a plateau until its use increased in the 197s for electricity generation. For most of the twentieth century, petroleum consumption grew sharply, dropping off temporarily after the oil crises of the 197s but then resuming its growth. Natural gas consumption grew during the second half of the twentieth century and has been used increasingly in homes and industry, and to meet peak electricity demand. During the last quarter of the twentieth century, nuclear electricity generation increased to the point that it now supplies 19 percent of electricity, and wood, the original biofuel, saw a small regional resurgence (primarily for home heating) as a result of the increases in home heating oil prices in the 197s. Meanwhile, renewables production which includes biomass and biofuels, hydroelectric, wind, solar, and geothermal energy has surpassed nuclear energy production. Quadrillion Btu Figure 2-1 Energy Consumption by Source, Wood Petroleum Natural Gas Renewable Nuclear Source: EIA These trends have shifted dramatically in the 21st century: the use of coal has declined by 21 percent since its peak in 25 and total petroleum consumption has declined by 13 percent since its peak in 25. Because of the revolution in nonconventional natural gas extraction through horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, natural gas consumption has increased sharply, with Coal 9

11 much of this increase displacing coal for electricity generation. In addition, total energy obtained from wind, solar, and geothermal sources has increased five-fold since 25. The decline in petroleum consumption starting in 26 was unexpected. A standard way to quantify unforeseen developments is to look at revisions to forecasts, because those revisions represent the contribution of new, unforeseen information. In the case of energy, industrystandard benchmark forecasts are produced annually by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in its Annual Energy Outlook, so revisions to those forecasts quantify the effect of unforeseen developments on the energy sector. Figure 2-2a shows U.S. petroleum consumption since 195 and forecasted consumption from the 26, 21, and 214 Annual Energy Outlooks. Only eight years ago, these benchmark forecasts projected increasing petroleum consumption over a thirty-year forecast horizon. But events, including the Great Recession unforeseen at the time of the EIA s 26 forecasts unfolded rapidly: by 21, EIA had reduced both the level and rate of growth of the forecast, and its 214 outlook now projects petroleum consumption to decline after a slight increase over the next five years. This unforeseen reversal in petroleum demand is led by the reversal in gasoline demand, which is shown in Figure 2-2b: the 214 EIA projection of consumption in 23 is 45 percent below the EIA projection made in 26. The initial decline in the level of consumption is due in part to the recession, but much of the lower projection for the coming decades reflects unforeseen efficiency improvements stemming from the 212 light-duty vehicle fuel economy standards, along with some projected switching to diesel in the light-duty fleet. Figure 2-2a U.S.Petroleum Consumption, Million barrels per day Actual Projected 26 Forecast 21 Forecast 214 Forecast Source: EIA Figure 2-2b U.S. Consumption of Motor Gasoline, Million barrels per day 14 Actual Projected Forecast Forecast 214 Forecast Source: EIA The recent increase in petroleum production was equally unforeseen. As Figure 2-3 shows, domestic petroleum production peaked in 1972 at 11 million barrels per day (bpd). Production plateaued through the mid-198s and then declined steadily through the late 2s as conventional domestic deposits were depleted. Since then, however, entrepreneurs adapted horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology that had been more widely used for natural gas, enabling them to extract oil within the rocky formations of plays once considered exhausted, as in the Eagle Ford in West and South Texas, and to develop new plays as in the 1

12 Bakken in North Dakota. These developments are both unforeseen and recent: most of the revision to EIA s forecast occurred since 21, and now EIA projects production to surpass its earlier peak in 215. EIA projects production to decline slowly after 219, although because the technology is still advancing there is considerable uncertainty about the economically recoverable resource potential. Figure 2-3 U.S. Petroleum Production, Million barrels per day 15 Actual Projected 214 Forecast 1 21 Forecast 5 26 Forecast Source: EIA The unforeseen decline in demand for petroleum and increase in oil production has led to a sharp turnaround in net petroleum imports (Figure 2-4), which fell from a peak of over 12 million bpd in 25 to 6.2 million bpd in 213 a drop of more than 6 million bpd in 213, relative to EIA s 26 forecast of 213 imports. 1 Of this unforeseen fall in net imports, roughly 4 million bpd, or 65 percent, is due to the unforeseen fall in consumption, and 2 million bpd, or 35 percent, is due to the unforeseen increase in production, relative to the respective 26 EIA forecasts. 1 Throughout the focus is on net imports. Although crude exports are restricted by law and have been historically small quantities, the United States has long exported refined petroleum products, for example averaging approximately 75, bpd in the 199s. Refined product exports have grown sharply since 26, reaching 2.8 million bpd in

13 Million barrels per day 2 Figure 2-4 U.S. Petroleum Net Imports, Actual Projected Forecast 21 Forecast 214 Forecast Source: EIA The increase in nonconventional natural gas production preceded the increase in nonconventional oil production. Figure 2-5, which presents domestic natural gas production and historical EIA forecasts, shows that the EIA s 214 projections indicate increasing natural gas production through 24. Already, well over half of natural gas production is from nonconventional plays (tight gas and shale gas), a fraction that is projected to increase as the conventional resource base becomes less productive and competitive. Trillion cubic feet Figure 2-5 U.S. Natural Gas Production, Actual History 214 Forecast 26 Forecast 21 Forecast Source: EIA Domestic use of renewable energy sources has also increased substantially since 2. Figure 2-6 shows that the use of liquid biofuels primarily ethanol from corn and biodiesel from various sources including waste oil and soy oil grew sharply in the mid-2s as ethanol replaced MTBE as an oxygenate to boost octane and to reduce emissions of aromatic hydrocarbons, further supported by the Renewable Fuel Standard mandates under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 27. The combined effect of increased production of natural gas, oil, and liquid 12

14 biofuels has resulted in the United States being the leading petroleum and natural gas producer in the world (Figure 2-7). Million gallons 16, 14, 12, 1, 8, 6, 4, Figure 2-6 U.S. Fuel Ethanol and Biodiesel Consumption, (Annual Rate) Fuel Ethanol 2, Biodiesel Source: EIA Figure 2-7 Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Production, Quadrillion Btu 5 4 Russia U.S. Russia U.S Saudi Arabia NG Petroleum Saudi Arabia Note: Petroleum production includes crude oil, natural gas liquids, condensates, refinery processing gains and other liquids including biofuels. Source: EIA The energy revolution also includes a dramatic increase in the use of renewables. At the end of 213, wind electricity generation capacity totaled 61 gigawatts, an increase of 14 percent over its 28 level. In 212 alone, a record 13 gigawatts of new wind power capacity was installed, roughly double the amount of newly installed capacity in 211. These 13 gigawatts of new wind capacity represented the largest share of additions by a single fuel source to total U.S. electric generation capacity in 212. Altogether between 21 and 213, total installed wind power generation capacity grew by over 2 gigawatts or 5 percent, with construction throughout the Midwest, Southwest, West Coast, and New England (Figure 2-8). As a result, annual electricity production from wind energy tripled from 28 to 213, from 55,363 million kilowatt-hours to 167,567 million kilowatt-hours. Similarly, utility-scale electricity production from solar power 13

15 grew more than ten-fold from 28 to 213, from 864 million kilowatt-hours to 8,918 million kilowatt-hours. Total energy from solar (which in addition to electricity generation includes heating, hot water, and other uses) nearly quadrupled from a monthly rate of 8 trillion Btu to 29 trillion Btu over the same period (Figure 2-9). Figure 2-9 Total Monthly Wind and Solar Energy Production Trillion Btu 18 Jan Wind Solar Source: EIA 14

16 GDP, Jobs, and the Trade Deficit This U.S. energy revolution has contributed to the growth of the economy both in terms of economic output as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) and overall employment and the decline of the trade deficit, as the economy recovered from the Great Recession. CEA estimates that the increase in oil and natural gas production alone contributed more than.2 percentage point to real GDP growth in both 212 and 213, in contrast to a slight negative contribution on average from 1995 to 25 (Figure 2-1). This.2 percentage point contribution, which does not count all the economic spillovers, added substantially to the 2.3 percent annual rate of growth of the economy as a whole over these two years. Percent Figure 2-1 Contributions of Oil and Natural Gas Production to GDP Growth '95-' Note: CEA calculations use physical quantity data for oil and natural gas production. Source: EIA; CEA calculations. The growth in oil and gas production has both directly and indirectly created jobs over the past several years. As Figure 2-11 shows, employment in the oil and natural gas extraction sector increased by 133, between 21 and 213, and continues to grow into 214. Much of this job growth has been concentrated in a handful of states like Texas, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and North Dakota that are at the forefront of developing their energy resources (see Cruz, Smith and Stanley [214]). In addition to direct employment in resource extraction, jobs have been created in the companies that provide goods and services to those industries and to their workers, including manufacturing, transportation, and leisure and hospitality. Local jobs in schools, retail, health care, and other sectors have also been created in oil and gas development regions. Because of the elevated unemployment rate during the recovery, the number of indirect jobs, including those created through aggregate demand spillovers, could be quite large: one private estimate holds that nonconventional oil and gas activity contributed a total of 1.7 million jobs in 212 (IHS CERA [212]). After falling nearly continuously since the early 198s, employment in coal mining also edged up slightly over this period and in 212 stood at approximately 9, employees. 15

17 Figure 2-11 Natural Resource Extraction Employment, Jobs (thousands) 4 Coal (through 212) Oil and Natural Gas Source: EIA; BLS. Expansion of renewable energy capacity has also contributed to economic growth. Employment in the renewable sector spans several categories in Federal data collection systems, which complicates direct estimation of employment and output in the sector. However, trade association data suggest that, in addition to rapid expansion in output, there has also been a sharp rise in employment. As Figure 2-12 shows, from 21 to 213, employment in the solar energy industry grew by more than 5 percent to almost 143, jobs. Moreover, employment in the solar industry is projected to increase by another 2, in Similarly, wind industry employment in 213 totaled in the tens of thousands. 3 2 Estimates of national employment related to the solar energy industry from the Solar Foundation s 213 National Solar Jobs Census. The National Solar Jobs Census uses a statistical survey methodology aligned with the Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages and Current Employment Statistics surveys. 3 Estimates of national employment related to the wind power sector from the 213 American Wind Energy s Association U.S. Wind Industry Annual Market Report. 16

18 Jobs 175, 15, 125, 1, 75, 5, 25, Figure 2-12 Solar-Related Employment, ,52 15, ,16 142, , Note: 214 figure is a projection. Source: The Solar Foundation The increase in domestic oil production, combined with reduced demand for oil, has also led to a sharp drop in net petroleum imports and, as a result, a decline in the trade deficit. In 26, the total trade deficit was 5.4 percent of GDP, the highest recorded for the United States. By the end of 213, the trade deficit had fallen to 2.8 percent of GDP, which, excluding the crisis-affected year of 29, was the lowest since 1999 (Figure 2-13). While the U.S. trade balance is subject to a number of influences and depends in large part on economic conditions in other parts of the world, the rise in domestic energy production has been a substantial factor in the recent improvement. Of the 2.6 percentage point decline in the trade deficit since 26, about.6 percentage point (or just over one fifth) is due to a shrinking trade deficit in petroleum products Figure 2-13 Total and Petroleum Trade Deficits, Percent of GDP 6. Total Petroleum Source: Census Bureau and BEA. 17

19 Energy Prices, Households, and Manufacturers Since 26, natural gas prices have fallen well below crude oil prices on an energy-equivalent basis, providing a cheaper source of energy to consumers and businesses in the United States (Figure 2-14a). Domestic natural gas prices are also well below those in other countries (Figure 2-14b). Today, one million British thermal units (mmbtu) of wholesale natural gas costs around $4.5, roughly half the price paid in Western Europe, a quarter of the price paid in Japan, and a quarter of the price of a comparable amount of crude oil. 4 Figure 2-14a Annual Crude Oil and Natural Gas Spot Prices, Dollars per million Btu 2 18 Brent WTI 12 1 Projected Henry Hub Source: EIA Figure 2-14b World Natural Gas Spot and Import Prices Dollars per Million Btu 18 May 27 Japan LNG (Mar 214) UK (NBP) Russia/German border (April 214) 4 2 US (Henry Hub) Note: UK's prices do not include natural gas imported from Russia which is predominately indexed to oil prices. Japan and Russia/German border prices are monthly averages. Source: Bloomberg Residential natural gas prices have followed the decline in wholesale natural gas prices, and the twelve-month average price has declined by 2 percent from its 29 high (Figure 2-15a). Low wholesale natural gas prices have also supported switching fuels in the electric power sector from coal to natural gas. With natural gas prices falling from 27 to 212, retail electricity prices have been essentially constant over this period, showing the slowest rate of increase in almost 15 years (Figure 2-15b). 4 The low cost of domestic natural gas relative to other countries reflects the undeveloped nature of international gas markets combined with the expense of transportation. Liquefaction, transportation from the United States to Europe, and regasification have been estimated to add $6-9 per mmbtu, roughly tripling the price of gas entering the pipeline at Europe relative to its Henry Hub price. Currently approximately 9 billion cubic feet per day of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity has been conditionally approved by the Department of Energy, although the enormous capital expenditures required for LNG facilities raises the possibility that some of this capacity might not actually be built. Because of large transport costs, even if a global market for LNG were to develop, domestic natural gas prices are likely to remain well below prices in the rest of the world for an extended period of time. 18

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